SAGINAW, MI — Two teens are headed to Saginaw County Circuit Court, where they may enter a plea in connection with a Feb. 27 shooting on Saginaw's East Side.

Howard D. Walker Jr., 17, and Deanthonie A. Goodman, 15, appeared before Saginaw County District Judge Terry L. Clark on Friday, April 19, and waived their right to a preliminary hearing, leading Clark to bind their cases over to Circuit Court.

Howard D. Walker Jr.

Deanthonie A. Goodman

Once in Circuit Court, the teens' attorneys will continue plea bargain negotiations with prosecutors, officials said.

Walker and Goodman both are charged as adults with conspiring to commit first-degree murder, three counts of assault with intent to murder, and four firearm offenses in an incident at Webber and Fairfax.

Acting Saginaw Police Chief Brian Lipe labeled the incident “gang-related.” Officers were nearby when they received reports of the shooting and were able to catch two suspects as they tried to flee, Lipe said. Officers found a third suspect hiding behind a house, he said.

Lipe said the incident likely stems from a feud between members of a South Side Saginaw gang and the “H and R boys” gang that hails from the area near Harold and Ray on the city's southeast Side. Walker last lived at 3123 Webber in the "H and R" neighborhood, while Goodman last lived at 3936 Gallagher just east of East Genesee.

The murder conspiracy charge carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole, while the assault charge carries a maximum penalty of life. The teens also are charged with carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent and three counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony.